Southeast Missouri State College’s Golden Eagle Marching Band appeared on national television in 1964. I don’t know which game this was, but it was a big enough deal I shot it on the family’s Zenith television in the basement.
Golden Eagles photo gallery
Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the image to move through the gallery.
I have very fond memories of the Golden Eagles. My dad used to take us to SEMO football games and halftime was my favorite part of the game. They had majorettes with lighted batons that I thought were really cool.
I remember the thrill of being a student there when the Golden Eagles Marching Band performed at the Orange Bowl, but I believe the year was 1965. They performed again at the Orange Bowl in 1969 as well as several other appearance at other pro football games.. I was not a member of the band, but I sure swelled with pride at our SEMO band and I too, loved seeing them perform at halftime at SEMO’s football games under the direction of Mr. LeRoy Mason.
link:
http://www.semo.edu/search.asp?q=golden+eagles+marching+band%2B1970&x=13&y=15
Frony shot the Golden Eagles in a formation at Houck Stadium with the homecoming queen and her court in the 1960s.
http://www.semissourian.com/blogs/flynch/entry/37800
The Golden Eagles of the 60’s and 70’s were AWESOME! They could play and march. The network showed their performance during halftime. Most of the time you never saw the band. Director LeRoy Mason invented that moving letterbox in the first picture.
i think it was the rose bowl in pasadena and the moving script.
Definitely at the Orange Bowl Stadium in Miami — I was a member of the Golden Eagles for that performance. We did not perform for the Orange Bowl game itself, but for the Pro-Bowl Playoff Game which later became the Super Bowl. And it was in January 1965.
Didn’t the Golden Eagles perform at a Presidential Inauguration? I have some foggy memory of that but can’t remember which president or what year it was. I used to go the football games at Houck Field and half-time was more exciting to me than the game 🙂
We were invited to march in the Inauguration Parade for Lyndon Johnson; however, since it was the week of finals (finals used to be mid-January) and we would NOT be given the opportunity to take them either earlier or later, we voted not to attend. We all felt very honored to have been invited.
These pictures are probably from one of the early Super Bowls. The Golden Eagles performed the half time show in two of the early Super Bowls. I don’t think there is another college band that can make that claim.
They performed at (what was then known as) the pro play-off game in 1969, then provided the half-time show at Super Bowl V in 1971. I was a member of the band during those years – both games were in Miami, Florida!
The January 1965 performance in Miami was for the Pro-Bowl Playoff Game which later became the Super Bowl. I was a member of Golden Eagles for that first trip to Miami. It was an awesome experience! The 1969 performance, I believe, was for a Super Bowl game.
I remember being a piano major at SEMO when the Golden Eagles went to the Orange Bowl. It was during the Christmas break of 1964. They were amazing!
Of all my college experiences, being a member of the Golden Eagles was one of the most memorable. Each pregame show started with the run onto the field. When we gathered in the tunnel and started the war whoop, there was an adrenaline rush just like athletes have. Mr. Mason was a task master, and his talent as a half-time show producer was unbeatable. I was a rank leader, and one day after I made a mistake he walked right up to me, raised his megaphone and shouted at me. Sometime later in the season I walked past his office and he stopped me with a kind, “Hey you!” He wanted to know what size I was; he wanted to make me a majorette! Go figure!
I remember being so proud of my brother, John Seay. I think he graduated in 1964 or 1965. If anyone has any memories of him they would like to share, I would love to read. He was in the pep band and played in the Municipal band at Capaha. Great sharing Ken! Thank you
I was a member of the Golden Eagles the year they marched in the Orange Bowl. I almost missed the trip due to an ice storm the night before we were to depart. We had a great time.
Our trip to the Orange bowl was the exciting culmination after our diligent practicing in the mud and snow on the SEMO football field. Everybody was excited and ready. I remember being asked to show excitement when we ran out on the field during the Orange Bowl halftime. How could we be anything else?
I played in the Golden Eagles from 1968-1971–and went to Super Bowl V, and anothe pro game in Miami in 1969 where the program featured music by Irving Berlin. Does anyone have pictures from the 1971 game?
I was was a snare drummer in Miami 1969 (Pro Bowl) and the the Super Bowl 1971. I do not have photos. At one time, someone had some videoes of different events. I would also enjoy any photos and/or videos.
Ahhhhh, the memories of the Golden Eagles!! There are so many it is hard to name them all. I was lucky enough to be elected as the President of the Golden Eagles my senior year 1972-73. That was nice, but the highlight of the era was just being a part of one of the greatest marching bands to ever set foot on a football field. The four years that I was a member we marched at St. Louis Football Cardinal games, Kansas City Chiefs games and Super Bowl V in Miami as the back-up band for Anita Bryant. Or maybe she was our support performer. Mr. Mason was a master of putting a halftime show together. The Magic Box, the Moving Marquee, and the Golden Eagles signature at the end of each performance were just a few of his innovative marching techniques. This part of my college life was the reason I attended SEMO State College (University.)
I was a member of Golden Eagles for three years — 62-62, 63-64, and 64-65. In December of 1964 we left Cape to appear at the halftime show of the Pro-Bowl Playoff Game between the then St. Louis Cardinals and Green Bay Packers. We practiced in over a foot of snow prior to leaving Cape. We traveled by chartered bus first to Atlanta, GA, where we spent the night, arrived in Miami on New Year’s Eve where it was a balmy 90+ degrees. I believe our performance was 2 days after the actual Orange Bowl; however, we did perform in the Orange Bowl stadium. I’m not sure if these photos are from that performance, though. We made several trips to St. Louis each football season to perform halftime shows for the football team. Most of those performances were at the old Sportsman’s Park where the baseball team played. We were invited to march in the Presidential Inaugural parade that January, but as it fell during finals week, Mr. Mason thought it would not be in our best interests to go. We did march at Governor Hearnes’s inauguration in Jeff City in mid-January — colder than *****! I loved being in Golden Eagles. I loved our single file entrance down the curving walk from Myers Hall to a drum cadence, and Chief Sag standing proudly on the rock (which I can’t find now) overlooking the student section of Houck Field. And yes, Mr. Mason was a hard task master, but when we performed, it was with pride in a excellent performance. And I can still tell you exactly where I was in each of those photos above.
I, too, marched with the Golden Eagles. In fact, they were the reason that I went to SEMO. My Dad saw them on TV, and thought I would like to be a part of that band. He was right! I loved it! I was with the band when we went to the Pro Bowl play-off in the Orange Bowl…St. Louis vs. Green Bay. It was such a great experience….and the band was SO on top of their game! We gave the score at half time….in formation! I dare anyone to try that today! Mr. Mason was a task master….and he produced some wonderful musicians and band teachers….and some very happy and proud band members. What great times!
They were the reason I sent to SEMO too. Best memories of my college years.
I WAS IN THE BAND AT ST.LOUIS, JEFFERSON CITY, ORANGE BOWL. WHAT A TIME WE HAD. MR. MASON WAS A GREAT MAN AND A WONDERFUL FATHER (BERRY TOLD ME). PINKY AND JIM WERE FELLOW TUBA PLAYERS. THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES.
Our performances were not actually at the Orange Bowl Football game, but in the “Orange Bowl Stadium,” for both the NFL Playoff Bowl and Super Bowl games. I’ll always be proud to have been voted band president by my fellow members for 1970-71, and to top it off at the Super Bowl game was beyond my imagination! It certainly is difficult coming to grips with it being 46 years ago!
Dennis Nail …. “Hail Golden Eagles”